Beyoncé is embroiled in a new legal battle over alleged copyright infringement in one of her recent hit songs.
The lawsuit, filed in Louisiana federal court, alleges that Beyoncé, along with her record label Sony Music and other parties, sampled key lyrics from a 2002 song by the New Orleans-based group Da Showstoppaz. The group claims that Beyoncé’s 2022 single “Break My Soul,” which samples Big Freedia’s 2014 song “Explode,” illegally lifted phrases from their song “Release a Wiggle.”
Da Showstoppaz also accuse Big Freedia, legally known as Freddie Ross, of incorporating their unique and distinctive lyrics without crediting them in his song “Explode.”
The lawsuit focuses on the phrase “release yo wiggle” and similar variations, which Da Showstoppaz claim are original to their song and have contributed to Big Freedia’s fame. The group’s attorneys argue that the use of these phrases in “Explode” infringes on their copyrights and have demanded acknowledgment and compensation for their intellectual property.
Despite the fact that copyright law typically does not protect short, simple phrases, Da Showstoppaz’s lawyers are confident in their case and assert that they have a copyright to their lyrics that were allegedly infringed upon by Big Freedia.
The legal battle comes as Beyoncé’s song “Break My Soul,” which also samples Robin S.’s “Show Me Love,” topped the Hot 100 chart for two weeks, marking her first solo No. 1 hit in 14 years. Beyoncé’s legal team has not responded to the allegations made in the lawsuit.
Da Showstoppaz claim they first became aware of the alleged infringement through Beyoncé’s song and have attempted to contact her and other parties involved, without receiving a response.
